Other TEFL courses will not have the same credibility and therefore may not be as effective in helping you to start your career as an EFL teacher. Here at St Giles, we only employ teachers with either the Cambridge CELTA or the Trinity CertTESOL to work in our own English language schools.
| Cambridge CELTA | |
| Who is the accrediting body? | Cambridge English Language Assessment (formerly Cambridge ESOL) |
| How long does the course take? | The course must last for a minimum of 120 hours over 4 weeks. |
| How much teaching practice must trainees do during the course? | 6 hours |
| Who can take a course? |
To take a CELTA applicants should: - be aged 20+ (some centres, including St Giles, will consider applicants aged 18+) - have a university degree or a standard of education equivalent to that which is required for higher education - have a good level of language awareness and of spoken and written English |
| Do applicants have to be native English speakers? |
No. The level of English required is set by the course providers but is usually at least a CAE Pass or IELTS 7.0 in all four papers. |
| What are the components of the course? |
The CELTA has five units of learning: Unit 1: Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context Unit 2: Language analysis and awareness Unit 3: Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing Unit 4: Planning and resources for different contexts Unit 5: Developing teaching skills and professionalism Note: There is often an input session on an Unknown Language as well. |
| How are trainees assessed? |
There is no final exam. Instead, your trainers will assess you continuously throughout the course for two components - Teaching Practice and Written Assignments. An external assessor from Cambridge English will moderate each course as a whole. You must pass both components to be awarded the certificate. There are three grades: Pass, Pass A and Pass B. |
If you have any questions about TEFL courses, please do not hesitate to Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
